Visually impaired students in Saint Lucia have received a major boost in their educational journey, thanks to the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund (SLUNCF). On March 19th, SLUNCF officially handed over assistive learning devices to the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA), fulfilling a request made through the Ministry of Education. The much-needed equipment, including Braille devices and magnifiers, aims to enhance the learning experience for students facing challenges accessing traditional learning tools.

Craig Henry, CEO of SLUNCF, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating:

“I am happy that we are able to do this today, to do the official handover of the equipment. We hope these devices will make a marked difference in the lives of the students who will be using them. The request was made to provide extra support for remote learning, particularly for students who had challenges attending in-person classes and had limited access to computers for online learning.”

The donation includes high-tech Braille devices and magnifiers, enabling students at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels to engage more effectively in their studies. Raymond Thompson, National Coordinator for the Vision Education Services Programme at SLBWA, highlighted the impact of these devices:

“It is always good when we can find technology that assists our students in their learning and enables them to be the best that they can be.”

While SLUNCF is widely recognized for its work in environmental conservation, its mission also includes supporting marginalized communities. The organization raises funds through international donors and local partnerships to drive impactful initiatives.

“The Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund is an entity that was created for Saint Lucia and for Saint Lucians,” Henry reiterated.

With the addition of these assistive learning tools, visually impaired students now have greater opportunities for academic success. The Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association hopes this initiative will inspire more organizations to step forward and support the visually impaired community.

“But because the market is not so large for these devices, they are very costly,” explained a representative from SLBWA. “I would imagine having one of these devices would be in the region of about US$5,000. So it’s not something that is easily accessible.”

The official handover ceremony took place at the offices of the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association, marking a significant step forward in providing inclusive educational opportunities for visually impaired students.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLY91qtXxAc

Listen: https://pod.co/government-of-saint-lucia/slncf-provides-assistive-devices-to-support-visually-impaired-students-1